


The Five Steps to Woo a Warlock

by acrazyworldofdreams



Series: The Wild Warlock [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Fae & Fairies, Goddess, Jooheon is a Trickster - not mentioned, M/M, Made up creature, Magic, Technology, Tricksters, Warlocks, evil fae, hyungwon is a demi-demon - not mentioned, incubus, magical herbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-07-13 04:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acrazyworldofdreams/pseuds/acrazyworldofdreams
Summary: This is not the first time Changkyun has stolen herbs and other magical plants from this garden for his fae friends as payment for giving him his shapeshifter abilities. This is the first time, however, that he's been caught by the small, angry warlock who owns said garden.





	The Five Steps to Woo a Warlock

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moon__goddess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon__goddess/gifts).



> This was like the best prompt ever!!! Thank you for this....it really inspired me, so much that I kinda went a little off track. I had even bigger plans for it, but sadly ran out of time. I hope you enjoy it, I did writing it! Also let me know if you think it needs anymore tags...I ran out of ideas.

 

As Changkyun shimmies up the fence, he wonders to himself for the billionth time if his shapeshifter abilities are worth all this hassle. This is the fourth time he’s been requested (ordered) to retrieve a number of magical plants that unfortunately only one Warlock grows in their realm. It’s irritating really. He’d much prefer to steal from a variety of gardens, but the Fae are always so insistent he steals from this garden. Apparently, no one grows them quite like Kihyun, the Wild Warlock.

Changkyun doesn’t know much about the Warlock though, other than you shouldn’t get involved with him. His wolf friend Hoseok warned him not to mess with Kihyun, but it’s not like Changkyun had a choice. Without the Fae, he’s a nobody. He doesn’t have any powers without them, and within the circles Changkyun turns, no powers means you’re irrelevant. Plus being able to become whoever you want is intoxicating. Addictive almost.

He remembers the first night he turned, over four years ago, having finally tracked down the fae court to bargain for his gifts. The rush of power through his veins and seeing his appearance to change into something else are things he’ll never be able to forget. Nothing short of magical. In return they’d requested his obedience for as long as he wished to hold his powers. At the time it had felt like he’d gotten off easily, but it came with a heavy price. The Fae use him as their personal messenger and thief.

In fact, these trips to Kihyun’s garden of magical wonder are a bit of a relief compared to some of the more harrowing trips he completes for the Fae, because firstly Kihyun’s garden is closed off from the normals. They can’t see it and Changkyun wouldn’t be able to either if he didn’t have his shapeshifter abilities. He gets to glimpse past the veil of magic and see the true wonders of the world.

Secondly, because Kihyun’s garden looks like Eden. Well what Changkyun thinks Eden would look like. It’s full of beautiful bright coloured flowers, mixed it with all the luscious greens of the herbs. Everything is so full of life. He often wishes he could enjoy the atmosphere for a little longer, but as he’s only there to steal, the goal is always to get out and in as quickly as possible.

*

Every time before it’s been at least 3am when he arrives at the garden, but his time he’s running late, and it’s passing into the early hours of the morning. Damn Minhyuk, and he’s obsession with casting spells at Goddess knows what hours of the night and demanding Changkyun be there to witness them.

Dropping down the other side of the fence, Changkyun feels the impact reverberate up his legs. He always forgets to bend on impact. He immediately crouches down, so he can confirm he’s in his usual spot. It’s to the left of the house, and all the way across the garden. Changkyun likes to start further away, so he can check on Kihyun’s window, which overlooks the garden.

The first time he had to break in, he’d done research. His informant Hyungwon had provided a detailed map, of not only the garden, but the house as well. That guy will always be a mystery to Changkyun, but as everyone knows Hyungwon knows everything…for a price, of course. That map turned out to be invaluable too, as tonight is his fourth trip into the garden (damn the greedy Fae) and not once has he been caught. Thank the Goddess.

Changkyun scans the garden identifying the four locations he has to visit. It’s essential he leaves no trace of his presence, as it would make it almost impossible to come again, if Kihyun knew someone was stealing. Paranoid was the word that often followed the wild in the Warlock’s name. To be fair, he’s not being that paranoid, people do want to steal from him. When you have the best Aconite and Huckleberry in the country, people are going to be knocking at your door, and if you don’t sell it like Kihyun, then people are going to resort to desperate measures.

Changkyun mentally maps his journey across the garden. It’s not a small garden, and it’s magically enchanted to appear smaller than it really is. So if you think it will take a minute to get to a patch, it actually takes 5 minutes. The first time he was here it really threw him when he left the garden, because it was an hour later than the 15 minutes he’d thought it had been.

He sets off keeping his head down low. Changkyun’s wearing all black. It’s so cliché, but another thing about Kihyun’s magic garden is that he can’t shapeshift here. It blocks use of magic. Kihyun is nothing if not thorough, and very powerful. Actually he’s quite inspiring. There are a few stories about the things he can do floating around, namely cursing you and your family line indefinitely, which Changkyun would really like to avoid happening.

Snaffling the first set of herbs is no problem and he makes his way over to the Huckleberry patch. It’s a tricky one to harvest. You have to say a few words as you cut at the precise point on the bark, otherwise the plant dies as soon as you cut it off. The Fae want at least 5 cuttings, which means traipsing around the patch to get a sizeable enough plant. Damn the Fae.

Changkyun’s onto the fourth clipping, when he hears the noise he’s been dreading each visit, the sound of a door opening. Changkyun throws a panicked look towards the wooden door that marks the entrance to Kihyun’s home, sees nothing, but doesn’t hesitate to drop to the flowerbed anyway.

Shit, if he leaves now the Fae will take his powers away for sure, and his friends are heading to the outer realm this weekend. It seems like a silly thing to worry about now, but it is Changkyun’s life.

The sound of footsteps get closer to the area Changkyun is occupying. It’s mostly still dark out, but there are little snatches of light appearing between the trees, which line most of the garden. Dusk is a magical time for creatures like themselves. Something about the boundaries between realms being less stable. They always travel at dusk or dawn. Perhaps Kihyun comes out at this time every day and it’s nothing to do with Changkyun’s presence in the garden? Unlikely, but still the footsteps pass him by. Changkyun lets out a quiet relieved sigh, he’s not been caught.

_“What are you doing in my garden thief?”_

Kihyun’s voice appears out of nowhere and scares the bejesus out of Changkyun. After the initial shock wears off, his first thought isn’t planning his escape though, instead it’s how beautiful Kihyun is. Because really, he’s gorgeous. And it looks like he’s pretty young for a Warlock too. Then again, he could have magicked his face younger, but something tells Changkyun he hasn’t.

 _“I know you’re not mute. I heard you singing last time,”_ Kihyun continues in an outraged and very angry voice, but all Changkyun can think is cute, cute, cute. Jeez what on earth is wrong with him.

Abruptly the look on Kihyun’s face switches as the fury overtakes everything, and Changkyun watches in fright, as he lifts his hands to begin a spell. Well it seems he is? Changkyun is trespassing and stealing some highly expensive and rare plants. He can’t even deny that’s what he’s doing because he’s got a Huckleberry plant tucked into his right hand and a pentagon knife in his left.

_“I…I….did you like my singing?”_

Changkyun’s brain has officially left the garden, no the realm it seems, but it does stop the Warlock from chanting for a second, as he double takes at Changkyun’s words. He’s probably more used to thieves begging for their lives, not asking for an appraisal of their singing skills. Whatever he’s thinking, his next words delight Changkyun.

_“Well it was very pleasant. I prefer the rapping you did the time before though.”_

Damn, how often did Changkyun make noise without realising. Jooheon always told him that habit was going to get him in trouble someday. It’s not his fault though, he just feels the music bubble up inside, and it wants to come out. Jooheon also thinks there’s something weird about his obsession with music, but that’s a problem for another day, as Changkyun refocuses on the problem of the moment.

Kihyun’s face is now screwed up in confusion. Probably matching Changkyun’s own. The Warlock speaks again, _“I’m not sure why I said that, but you have one chance to explain why you keep stealing from me, and if the answer isn’t good enough, I’m going to blast that pretty face off and curse your family into oblivion.”_ Kihyun seems pretty pleased with himself and his threats do sound terrifying, but something inside of Changkyun tells him Kihyun won’t hurt a hair on his head. He gambles his life on the feeling.

_“Do you like rap music then?”_

It’s like Changkyun is at his local dive bar, brimming full of wolves, vamps, shapeshifters like himself, and some of the less annoying Fae, all looking to get wasted and hook up, and he’s flirting with the most handsome Warlock in the place. Minhyuk reckons Changkyun could charm the pants off just about anyone. Kihyun’s eyes shift upwards as he’s thinking about Changkyun’s question.

 **Step one** – get the target thinking about something which means something to them.

It takes a few moments before Kihyun relies, _“Yeah the plants really like rap music. They like most music. Actually every time you visit, the patch you stole from bloomed better. What are you?”_

He blinks in surprise. This isn’t where the steps are supposed to lead. Targets usually focus on themselves, not back at Changkyun. For a moment he’s speechless, but then he splutters back to life. _“A shapeshifter?”_ he volunteers willing. Weird again.

 _“No, No. I don’t mean the powers you steal. I mean your real ones. What are you?”_ Kihyun asks with impatience.

Changkyun doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Powers, real powers? He lets the frustrated Warlock know so, but Kihyun still doesn’t believe him. _“ Come with me,”_ he commands. Changkyun doesn’t think Kihyun realises how much power his words contain but like with the truths he didn’t want to tell, Changkyun now finds himself walking behind Kihyun towards the very imposing, and intimidating house belonging to said wild Warlock in front of him.

As soon as he steps into the house the compulsion stops, and Changkyun can breathe again. Now he’s inside the house, he notices a few things you can’t understand from looking a blueprint. It’s modern. Like really modern with voice control lights, as demonstrated by the home owner as soon as they walk in. The whole house lights up with a few words, though Changkyun would at first be inclined to think it was magic, until he hears the familiar sound of Alexa confirming the request.

There’s tech everywhere, and when Kihyun leads him into what he imagines to be Kihyun’s Warlock lair type of thing, again it’s nothing like urban legend. In fact, it has 3 huge screens full of data across them. He’s not sure what it all means, but he reads words such as rainfall, and sunlight. These must be for the garden, no wonder it’s so beautiful. Kihyun’s seems to have combined the best of the tech world with his other worldly magic, resulting in a bountiful and beautiful garden.

Consider Changkyun impressed. He says as such, to which Kihyun looks embarrassed and the tips of his ears go red. It’s so cute. Goddess, this is not where Changkyun thought his night would go. He considers himself lucky that he’s still got all his limbs.

Kihyun takes charge again, seemingly recovered from his embarrassment. _“Sit here and hold this moonstone.”_ A small round and smooth stone is chucked towards him with little care. He reaches forward to pluck the grey stone out of the air. Does Kihyun not care about his stuff?

_“So, I’m going to run a small spell on you to see if we can figure out what you are. Okay? All you have to do is focus on the stone and sing.”_

All he has to do. Changkyun doesn’t like singing properly in front of others. It makes him feel super uncomfortable. When he was a kid some stranger heard him sing once and wouldn’t stop following him for 10 blocks. He’d never been so scared in his whole life. The stranger had kept whispering; give me more, give me more. Eventually Changkyun had started running when the man had tried to grab his arm. Ever since then he’s never directly sung out loud to anyone. He’s afraid to. But alone he loves to sing quietly, rap or even just hum. It made him feel peaceful.

 _“You want me to sing out loud, now. In front of you?”_ Changkyun whispers. Kihyun frowns but still nods yes to his question. Kihyun looks like he’s going to ask what’s wrong, but Changkyun doesn’t want to go into it. He’s playing along for now, because he knows it’s the best way to get out of this alive.

 **Step Two** \- Always do what makes the other happy.

So in this scenario if singing keeps Kihyun happy, then he’s goddess well, going to sing. Changkyun starts off by humming the chorus of his favourite tune at the moment, but soon launches into softly rapping the verses too. It’s an unusual song, tapping into some old school beats and rhythms.

As he sings, Kihyun starts reciting some words Changkyun doesn’t understand but somewhat recognises. Minhyuk was always trying some new spell, but as a newbie Warlock he wasn’t allowed to try anything too complicated, so it was mostly spells to change hair colours or find someone’s location. This sounds slightly more complex. Kihyun kind of looks ethereal doing it too. Changkyun continues to raps and launches into the beautiful end chorus with the amazing bridge in-between.

Whilst singing/rapping, Changkyun notices Kihyun has stopped chanting, and instead he’s looking directly at Changkyun, eyes full of wonder. The moonstone continues to glow, and Changkyun returns his eyes to it, finding himself getting lost in the softly lit up core of the stone. Then the song finishes, and Kihyun claps his hands twice.

 _“I know what you are”_ Kihyun announces.

Changkyun’s not sure he wants to know. He’s spent his whole life running from this. He doesn’t feel ready. _“Wait, stop”_ he rushes to get out. Kihyun’s face drops, but then fills with concern.

 _“Are you okay?”_ he asks, clearly concerned for Changkyun. Anger at the break-in long gone it seems.

 _“I’m…I’m afraid. This is going to change everything. Won’t it?”_ he asks of the Warlock.

 _“Only if you want it to and I’m pretty sure it means you won’t have to break into anyone’s garden anymore.”_ At that Changkyun at least has the decency to look sheepish. Damn the Fae.

 _“Okay hit me with it.”_ It’s time to face his future.

 _“You’re a Song Nymph”_ Kihyun reveals with glee. Could this Warlock be any cuter? Kihyun looks like Christmas has come early, though Changkyun has no idea what it means. _“A Song what?”_ he asks in bewilderment.

 _“Basically when you sing, your singing, or whatever music you make, creates a powerful life force which helps anything alive grow or heal. Basically you can create life force with your singing. No wonder my plants adored you. Maybe I can get you to sing to some more of them. There is some St John’s Wort, which is struggling, and I’ve got some Mayflower which I’d love to bloom a little early. I have some potions which I need to finish.”_ The ecstatic Warlock continues, but Changkyun’s brain has gone into overdrive. He’s a what?

He can create life force.

Goddess, wasn’t that really rare? Wasn’t that dangerous?

The Fae were always whispering about wanting more life force, and he knew they would basically do anything to get what they wanted. Panic rose in his chest. Nobody could know about this. Not until he’d spoken to Hyunwoo, he would know what to do with this information.

 _“I have to go”_ Changkyun doesn’t want to stay a moment longer with the Warlock. He may be cute, but Changkyun hadn’t forgotten how dangerous he is, and he’s still mumbling about how he can use Changkyun.

Kihyun stops smiling. _“What do you mean, you have to go?”_

_“My friends need me.”_

They don’t, but Changkyun feels desperate. He needs to get out of here and fast, because he feels like he’s going to fall apart, or up. Whatever happens first.

 _“I don’t think so. You remember I caught you stealing from my garden, right?”_ Yes, Yes. Of course he does, but now it suddenly seems so unimportant compared to everything else.

_“Please let me go. I’ll do what you want.”_

**Step Three** \- Give your target something they want.

Kihyun takes a few moments to think about the request. _“Okay. I will let you go, as long as you promise to come back tomorrow night and the next three nights to sing to my garden. As it’s full moon time, that’s when it will be most effective.”_

Changkyun blinks at the Warlock. Is that all he has to do to get away Scot free? _“Also you can take the herbs you need, but I won’t allow you to do it again.”_ He nods in confirmation. It’s a great offer, almost too goo to be true, but he doesn’t have time to doubt it.

Shaking on their agreement, spell bound of course, Changkyun makes his way out of the front gate of the garden as quickly as possible. Another first today, and heads straight to Hyunwoo’s apartment. He knows Hoseok might be there too, but he needs answers right now.

A Song Nymph.

Does that mean he’s no longer ordinary? He feels afraid, but also deeply excited that he’s finally something more, just like he’s always wanted to be.

*

It takes Changkyun twenty minutes to get to Hyunwoo’s apartment. He thought about dropping off the herbs to the Fae first, but if he doesn’t calm down his thoughts first, they’ll know something’s up with him. Thinking back he’s grateful to Kihyun for letting him take the herbs today. If he suddenly didn’t deliver to the Fae, they would definitely know something was up. They’d want to know how he got away.

Suddenly Changkyun feels like he has to keep his whole life a secret. He feels fear for the first time. Kihyun, a super frightening and angry Warlock, isn’t the biggest threat in his life now. The Fae, and other creatures of the night will now be very interested in him, if they discover his newly discovered powers. He suppresses the fear, he can deal with it later.

Hyunwoo lives in a normal looking flat, four floors up. As an Incubus, Hyunwoo has always preferred home comforts and has built himself his own nest. Changkyun thinks it’s mostly to do with his boyfriend Hoseok, who’s a werewolf, and likes to have everything smelling of himself. It’s pretty gross to Changkyun, but the fact two species who shouldn’t even like each other, having fallen in love, he’s not going to tell them how to make it work.

Hyunwoo is like an older brother to Changkyun. They’ve been close for years, and he’s been like Changkyun’s guardian ever since his mother passed. But he’s also one of the reasons Changkyun has always so desperately wanted to be something more than himself. Changkyun’s always felt so left behind, when Hyunwoo and the others would take trips or venture out to places he couldn’t go. Hyunwoo had even warned him off tracking down the Fae, but Changkyun had been almost relentless and, in the end, Hyunwoo had pointed him in the right direction.

He takes the stairs to the apartment. Knocking twice, then waiting, and knocking once more. Low tech security had its place, even in the magical world. Hyunwoo has a lot of enemies. Opening the door Changkyun is relieved to find only Hyunwoo, whose relaxing in his usual attire of grey sweatpants and tank top. Once upon a time, Changkyun would have done anything to get into those pants, but it feels almost like another lifetime now.

For some reason, Kihyun’s small but certainly cute face keeps popping into his mind. Dammit. Not now.

 _“What’s wrong?”_ Hyunwoo asks before Changkyun can back out on the spilling of the beans, so he does. He tells Hyunwoo about working for the Fae, sneaking into the magical garden, about being caught, and about learning of his true nature. When he’s finally done, he looks up at Hyunwoo’s face expecting him to look shocked, but he doesn’t. In fact, he looks guilty.

Something clicks in Changkyun’s mind. _“You knew? You knew all this time and you didn’t say anything.”_ Changkyun’s voice gets louder, anger bubbles over, perhaps he’s been taking lessons from the Warlock.

 _“Changkyun please don’t get upset. Let me explain.”_ Hyunwoo tries to sooth Changkyun, but his emotions are all over the place. The one person he thought he could trust knew something fundamental about him, and never said anything.

_“Why Hyunwoo? Why didn’t you tell me?”_

_“Because your mother begged me not to. When she was dying, it was her last wish that you would live a happy life without fear of being used for your power. She told me she didn’t want you to end up like her. Selling her power for money and in the end paying the price for it with her life.”_

Changkyun’s stunned. He always thought his mother had died in a freak accident when he was 14 years old. That was when Hyunwoo had become his guardian of sorts. In fact, did that mean she was a song nymph too? Hyunwoo confirms his suspicions, almost as if he can see the train of thought going through Changkyun’s head. _“Yes, she was a Song Nymph too. A very powerful one.”_

 _“What do I have to do Hyunwoo_?” Changkyun feels lost, and unsure. _“For now, you need to learn to use your powers. You need to learn how it feels to use them. To truly understand what they mean. Your mother wanted you understand why you should never trade them for anything.”_

He feels tears well up. It somehow feels even more important, now he knows his mother wanted him to understand his power. To know what it felt like to give life, so he’d never give it away.

 _“We need to find you somewhere safe to practice? And give you a task to do to practice it.”_ Hyunwoo looks thoughtful, and Changkyun remembers a promise he made to a certain Warlock. Goddess it.

It’s the last place he wants to go, but right now it seems like the best place.

 _“Err Hyunwoo.”_ The older boy looks up at him and encourages him to continue. _“I may have the perfect place, but you might not like it.”_

Hyunwoo doesn’t like it, not one bit, but concedes it’s a good plan. _“So you’ll go back to see the Warlock tomorrow under the guise that you’re fulfilling his request, but you will actually be using the time to practice your powers.”_

 _“Yes”,_ Changkyun replies, neglecting the final reason, which is Changkyun secretly wants to get to know the Wild Warlock a little bit more, and understand better what’s under that angry facade.

*

Ringing the bell at the gate feels weird to Changkyun. In truth, wearing his normal clothes and arriving at such a reasonable hour, all feels weird to him. The whole day has been so out of the ordinary, he doesn’t know which way is up anymore.

After finalising the plan with Hyunwoo, he’d visited the Fae with his offerings that secured his unnecessary power for the time being. Thankfully they didn’t ask anything more of him. It didn’t usually work like that anyway. He’d almost run out of there in fear of something happening. The rest of the day had been spent napping and reading every book he could find that mentioned Song Nymphs. What he learnt was not a lot of them mention his kind. Great.

The Warlock meets him at the gate, dressed in black jeans, and an oversized peach coloured hoodie. Not very Warlock like, but he looks really good in it. As usual Changkyun stumbles right in _._

_“I like your outfit”._

Kihyun’s red ear tips make a reappearance and Changkyun smiles to himself. _“Thank You.”_ The next stage has been set into motion it seems.

 **Step 4** – Compliment them.

 _“Follow me”_ the authoritative tone is back, and Changkyun can only oblige the elder, but from this vantage point he gets to check out the Warlock’s small, round butt. Changkyun’s thinks about what he would to do it, in another life, one where he’s not being threatened to sing at the butt owner’s plants. Goddess, he lives a strange life.

_“Okay so I’ve cast a simple spell over the areas I want you to sing to. If you look you can see they glow slightly.”_

Changkyun looks and indeed they do glow. And it looks so, so pretty in the dusk light. He imagines, it will only get prettier as the night settles in. Happiness bubbles inside of him. To be surrounded by so much life makes Changkyun feel happy. It’s probably to do with his power. After all what is more life giving than wildlife? His love of this garden, and his mother’s garden, makes so much more sense now.

Changkyun feels unsure. What exactly is he supposed to do? Just sit in front of the plants and sing to them like that. He asks the question and gets a matter of fact yes, in return. Apparently, the young Warlock doesn’t understand feeling embarrassment.

_“What will you be doing?”_

Kihyun looks bashful _. “Well I was going to do some pruning and listen to you sing. If that’s all right?”_ Changkyun feels his heart beat quicker. The Warlock was such a strange character, but at the same time, he was one of the most authentic people Changkyun had ever met.

 _“Yeah, yeah. That’s fine,”_ he settles in front of the first patch of glowing shrubbery. It’s a dark green bush with lilac coloured bulbs all across it. Changkyun has no idea what it is, but he figures that will be the case the whole night. He glances over to the right to see Kihyun has pulled some clippers out from seemingly nowhere and is now furiously attacking the bush. Which to Changkyun’s delight looks to be fighting back. Kihyun also seems to be whispering gently to the plant, soft words of encouragement. The Warlock doesn’t seem at all scary in this moment. 

Turning back to his own plant. He considers what to sing. His mother used to sing a lullaby to him when he was little which feels appropriate now.

Changkyun begins to sing for the first time in his life with the full intention to help something grow, he feels the power grow within his heart and it spreads out into the air around him. In this light, he can see his skin is shimmering gold slightly. Eye back on the plant, he continues to sing the lullaby of his youth.

 

_Soft, beautiful angel,_

_With your weary mind._

_Take refuge here,_

_And I’ll restore your heart._

_Fill it will gold light,_

_And breathe in new life._

_Come and sit with me my angel,_

_And you will be all alright._

The words take on a whole new meaning as Changkyun sings. He has no doubt now about what he is. The plant before him almost preens under the influence of Changkyun’s song. The bulbs have all doubled in size, and the largest is now slowly opening, as Changkyun finishes the final words. It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. More than the Warlock observing him.

He stops singing, and his gold aura fades. The magical glow over the plant fades as well, as if it knows Changkyun is done with it for the evening. He gets up to walk to the next plant, and feels eyes on him again, but when he turns to see, the Warlock is now watering a plant, which is suspiciously close to where Changkyun is due to sing next.

And on it goes for the next two hours. Changkyun sings, the plant comes to life, Kihyun works nearby, and then they move on. It’s draining, but in general, a pleasant experience. Changkyun feels whole for the first time in his life. Like he finally figured out his purpose. Sharing his gift is what he was made to do.

When the final bush fades from it’s eerie glow. Changkyun looks up to see a mesmerised Kihyun blatantly staring at him.

 _“Kihyun?”_ he asks, not wanted to frighten him, a scared Warlock is a dangerous one, no matter how handsome he is.

 _“You are so beautiful,”_ Kihyun whispers. The two are caught in a moment neither want to break, but it passes with Changkyun feeling awkward for once. Why is Kihyun turning everything back on him. What is going on between them. Changkyun doesn’t want to know yet, it’s too much for one day and he just needs to sleep. Like for ten years.

 _“Is that all for today?”_ The Warlock looks disappointed at his sudden request.

 _“Yes, you’re free to leave”_ Kihyun sounds upset too. Changkyun wonders if this is the most company he’s had in years. He feels bad. _“ Don’t worry, I’ll be back tomorrow”_ and gives him his most charming smile.

*

Kihyun smiles back and watches as the unusual boy walks away.

It has been so long since him.

But Kihyun knows this will come to an end all too soon.

It makes him feel a different type of sadness than he’s used to.

He’s forgotten what it feels like to want.

It’s like part of him is waking up.

*

The next two nights pass in the same manner. Changkyun turns up, flirts and then gets to work. By the end of the fourth night, he’s pretty sure he’s sung to every plant in the bleeding garden, and if it didn’t look magical before, it does now.

Kihyun’s been opening up more to him too, and they’ve been half talking/half flirting like nobody’s business. He hasn’t told Hyunwoo yet, because he thinks he might not approve, but really, it’s because Changkyun is so unsure of his feelings.

The reality is that Kihyun is threatening him to turn up each night, but it doesn’t feel like that anymore.

In fact, he thinks he would be sad if he didn’t see that soft smile on Kihyun’s face, especially when he starts singing to the plants himself, or how Kihyun’s starting bringing hot tea out in the garden mid-way through the work period.

There’s definitely something magical about the way it fills him up with warmth, and he’s not sure Kihyun’s done anything other to it then pour water over tea leaves.

It baffles him why Kihyun’s known as the wild Warlock. He doesn’t seem wild at all. Well not in that sense. His wildness comes from his affinity with his garden and the plants perhaps. In the way he lives freely and embraces nature for everything it is. Perhaps whoever named him, meant that.

Meant, instead of a wild to be feared, they meant Kihyun, the Wild Warlock, one to admire and be free like the wild natural world he so resembled. Changkyun thinks someone must have loved him a lot to name him that.

It’s the fifth night that things change between them. Changkyun blames the cactus.

When he arrives at the gate expecting to be shown to his new bush for singing practice, he’s instead instructed to follow Kihyun to the house. Having not been in again since the first night, Changkyun is curious to see more of the place. Especially since last time he was scared and unable to focus well. The house is still as techy before, but it also seems a little bit neater. As if Kihyun has tided up. It makes Changkyun feel butterflies inside.

_“I need your help. My favourite Cacti is dying, and I don’t know why. Please help.”_

Kihyun looks sadder than Changkyun’s ever seen him. He knows Kihyun’s adores his plants, but this is bit much, isn’t it? Changkyun obliges, and starts to sing, but for the first time, he sees his powers fail him. The Cacti looks no different, and in fact it seems to fade a little more. It’s normal green textured skin turns browner.

Tears well up in Kihyun’s eyes, and he exclaims, _“oh no please don’t die on me. I promised I wouldn’t ever stop loving you, why would you do this.”_ Changkyun has no idea what is going on. Why is Kihyun talking to a plant like it’s a person? He flounders, he’s not especially good with emotions.

 _“Kihyun, are you okay?”_ The Warlock looks up in shock, it seems he’s forgotten about Changkyun’s presence.

_“Yes, and no. I…I…I thought you could fix it with your powers, but I knew better. This plant was given to by my past boyfriend. He told me when I finally moved on from him, it would die, and that it would be a sign for me to do so. But I don’t feel ready.”_

Changkyun is shocked. He’s only known Kihyun for 5 days, but if Kihyun’s been feeling any of what he has, then the plant must be dying because of Changkyun.

_“You like me?”_

It’s a selfish question to ask right now, considering Kihyun looks like he’s going to burst into tears any moment, but he has to know.

A silent whisper confirms it, _“I do like you. More than I remember liking anyone. I don’t know how it happened. You just kept putting me off guard, and then when you sang, you were just mesmerising, and I realised you loved the plants as much as I do. And I couldn’t believe how perfect you seemed. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to put my feelings on you. I’ve just been alone for such a long time.”_

It’s a lot to take in. _“It’s okay Kihyun. I think I feel the same, but I need some time before anything happens.”_ The Warlock looks younger than ever before, and nods in understanding at Changkyun. Feeling brave he hugs the now not at all scary Warlock. Who looks appreciative, and smiles underneath his tears.

 _“Will you come back tomorrow?”_ Kihyun asks earnestly. _“I know the plants will miss you otherwise”._ Changkyun chuckles. Kihyun’s the cutest when he’s hiding behind his shrubberies. _“Of course I will, nothing would keep me away. I promise.”_

Changkyun leaves early for once, and almost makes it to Hyunwoo’s apartment where he’s been hiding out for the past few nights.

But he doesn’t make it all the way, before he’s requested by the Fae to attend court. He doesn’t really have a choice, but he knows it’s not a good sign, when the Fae who approaches him asks, _“Heard any good songs lately?”_ and it all goes pitch black.

*

When Changkyun wakes up, he’s sat on a chair in an ice cell. He’s heard about these. Fae’s use them to keep people in. The ice is not the cold kind, but rather it’s made of ice fire, and it’s practically impenetrable.

He sighs, almost resigned to his fate. Nobody gets away from the Fae.

Over the past few nights, Hyunwoo has let him in more about his mother’s past. Turns out it was the Fae who betrayed her, in the end becoming too greedy for their own good. It makes Changkyun wonder whether they knew about him, when they granted him his shapeshifter abilities.

He doesn’t have to wait long for answers, as he’s summoned before the court within minutes of waking, but it could have been hours since he arrive. Fae time didn’t work the same as human time.  Changkyun panics a bit, when he realises Kihyun may think he doesn’t want to come back. It’s the last thing he wants that cutie to be thinking. Kihyun has become so important to him over the past week, he can’t imagine life without the short, but fierce Warlock, with the smarts to go along with it all.

Fae don’t lie. It’s helpful, but also irritating in how straight forward they can be.

“ _We want your power, in return we’ll grant you whatever you desire.”_

A few years ago, hell a few weeks ago, he would have jumped at the chance to get whatever he wanted. But now he feels like he has everything he needs. A sense of purpose. Friends who are like family, and most of it all, someone who makes his heart light up.

_“Let’s be clear Fae,” he responds resolutely, “I am not, and will never, sell you my power for your own means.”_

The Fae don’t often look shocked, but he can tell they’re taken back. Creatures probably don’t say no to them, but he’s seen what they do to non-Fae, he’s felt it first-hand. They don’t care about you, only what you give them.

 _“We will not offer this again, Nymph. Even if you beg”_ Changkyun scoffs, and goes to fling back a retort, but before he can, there’s a loud crack in the air, and everyone covers their eyes due to the smoke which appears alongside it.

It’s feels a little showy, like someone’s trying to demonstrate how powerful they are with cheap tricks designed to scare those, who doesn’t know any better. When the smokes clears, Changkyun sees who it is, and he smiles to himself.

It’s one furious looking Warlock, who goes by the name of Kihyun. The Fae look afraid. Serves them right. Imagine kidnapping the almost-boyfriend of the wild Warlock.

 _“What business do you have here, Warlock?”_ The Fae who was previously attempting to blackmail Changkyun has turned his attention towards Kihyun now, who has fully locked his eyes on Changkyun and promptly stormed over with his tiny legs. It’s adorable.

Kihyun’s eyes then zip across all Changkyun’s body, checking to see if the Fae have hurt him. He appears satisfied that they have not and speaks again in a loud, assertive tone. Much like the one he uses with Changkyun back in the garden.

_“I am retrieving Changkyun. I have no further business with you Fae”_

_“You cannot,”_ comes the reply. _“He is still in contract with us for his shapeshifter powers, plus we have other requirements for him.”_ Kihyun’s fury rises, Changkyun is a little afraid himself and thinks the Fae don’t really get how scared they should be.

Kihyun whips around to the Fae who dares to defy him and in a voice seething with disgust, and layered with magic continues, _“If you insist on holding him to this original deal, or further trying to initiate a new deal concerning his newly discovered powers, I will be forced to seek retribution for each and every single plant the Fae stole from me. And if my records are correct over the years, that is over 3,245 plants. Can you imagine how much retribution that will be?”_

The Fae shakes his head slightly, and although he doesn’t verbally give in, he bows his head in submission.

Kihyun knew all this time they were stealing him. Changkyun’s wonders, if he was just waiting for a reason to need the bargaining tool. It doesn’t matter. Kihyun’s saved his life. The Warlock reaches out his left hand, eyes never leaving the Fae’s.

 _“Let’s go, Changkyun.”_ And the loud crack sounds once more, as the two of them retreat from the realm of the Fae.

*

Kihyun’s bustling around the kitchen preparing another cup of tea. His speciality it seems _. “Are you sure you’re okay?”_ Kihyun’s gone back to kitten mode it appears, Changkyun kind of likes the two sides of his almost-boyfriend.

 _“Yes, I’m fine. I was in the middle of refusing them, when you turned up. So all is well. They didn’t hurt me.”_ Kihyun looks relieved.

_“I was so worried about you when you didn’t turn up the first night, and by the third I was out of mind with worry. Thankfully your friend turned up….Hyunwoo? Demanding to know what I’d done with you. That’s when I knew someone had taken you. I asked my fellow Warlock, Yoongi, about who may have an invested interest into a Song Nymph, and he mentioned the Fae. We connected the dots and I took off. You should probably call your friend?”_

The sheepish look returns, as it seems the embarrassment from all his recent behaviour has finally caught up to the Warlock.

Changkyun’s brain is still processing all the words and simply lands on the three whole days part. _“I was gone for three days until you guys noticed.”_ He pouts. Kihyun smiles at him and reaches out to stroke his cheek. It’s the most intimate gesture he’s ever given Changkyun. He preens a little under the touch. Goddess, he’s whipped for this Warlock.

 _“What I am to you Changkyun_?” Kihyun asks the big question before Changkyun has a chance to recover from his kidnapping but it doesn’t matter. He never wants to go back to a time before he knew the angry, wild Warlock, who turned out to be a not so angry, but still wild Warlock.

 _“I’m yours, that’s what I am”_ he replies.

 **Step Five:** Admit there’s no step five, and that you’re completely infatuated with them.

Live happily ever after, with some singing, of course. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanted, I could write a little follow up scene of relationship bliss or smut city....let me know ;p


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